Sample lesson · about 5 minutes
Medicare Parts A, B, C and D in plain English
Medicare is federal health insurance, mainly for people 65 and older (and some younger people with certain disabilities or conditions). It's split into "parts." Learn the four letters and you've learned the map every Medicare conversation runs on.
Part A · Hospital
Inpatient hospital stays, plus limited skilled nursing facility care, hospice and some home health care. Most people don't pay a premium for Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes while working.
Part B · Medical
Doctor visits, outpatient care, many preventive services and medical equipment. Most people pay a monthly Part B premium.
Part C · Medicare Advantage
An all-in-one alternative to Original Medicare, offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. It covers everything Parts A and B cover, and many plans also include drug coverage.
Part D · Drugs
Prescription drug coverage from private, Medicare-approved plans. It can be a standalone plan next to Original Medicare or built into a Medicare Advantage plan.
Original Medicare is Parts A and B together. People on Original Medicare often add a Part D plan for drugs and sometimes a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy to help with deductibles and coinsurance. Medigap works with Original Medicare only, not with Medicare Advantage.
Two dates to memorize. The Initial Enrollment Period is 7 months long: the 3 months before the month someone turns 65, that month, and the 3 months after. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, when people can join, switch or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.